The USA records the first-ever human death linked to bird flu after recording at least 67 over the past year.
According to Gulf News, Louisiana health authorities on Monday, January 6, 2025, reported the first human case of the H5N1 virus.
As per the authorities, the 65-year-old patient of the bird flu has some other health issues too, and he has been admitted to the hospital since mid-December, the time when the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced the first serious case of bird flu.
The Louisiana Department of Health, while announcing the death, stated, “While the current public health risk for the general public remains low, people who work with birds, poultry, or cows, or have recreational exposure to them, are at higher risk.”
It further told that the patient had "contracted H5N1 after exposure to a combination of a non-commercial backyard flock and wild birds.” However, no person-to-person transmission was recorded in the state.
Moreover, Health Secretary Xavier Becerra, while announcing funding last week, asserted, “While the risk to humans remains low, we are always preparing for any possible scenario that could arise.”
Notably, since the beginning of 2024, the CDC has recorded 66 human cases of bird flu in the country. The agency described the death as “tragic” and unexpected.”
